Description

Beyond the sculpted tubes and sharp lines of the new Asteria, you'll find that Ridley's done its homework on developing a frame that's perfectly suited for a woman's body. Its engineers teamed up with Bikefitting.com in order to create a beautiful, race-ready women's frame with a geometry that precisely mirrors your body's anatomy. So, whether you spend your time training, racing, or a little of everything in between, Ridley's new Asteria is ready to take it on.

The flagship of Ridley's women's fleet, the Asteria is the logical choice for anyone seeking an anatomically designed, full-carbon frame for training, racing, or long-distance weekend rides. The Asteria frame utilizes everything that Ridley's pro teams have come to rely on -- blends of 30- and 24-ton high-modulus carbon fiber, and the proprietary Sharp Edge tube construction. By placing 30t carbon where the frame encounters the most flex, and 24t where flex is naturally minimal, Ridley is able to increase locational strength and reduce the overall weight of the frame. The use of Sharp Edge tubing throughout the frame maximizes lateral stiffness, while also reducing the bike's aerodynamic profile. This makes for better dampening on rough roads, extended comfort over long distances, and the elimination of feeling like you're tied to a sail in a crosswind. Also adding to the aerodynamic profile, Ridley included its 4ZA R-Blade carbon fork in order to reduce drag. The carbon fiber construction enhances the handling characteristics of the frame, and provides snappy handling through winding curves and sprints.

Although the frame material of the Asteria is what you rely on to deliver your sprint to the line, its geometry is what will get you there after a 100 miles of racing. The Asteria is designed to accommodate female proportions, and to do this, it features a relatively short top tube and seat tube. This makes the tug-of-war ratio between ideal reach and stand-over a non-issue, as the front and rear triangles have been modified to deliver a nearly-identical riding experience as the Ridley Damocles through descents, sprints, and climbs. To maintain characteristic similarity, the Asteria has a tightened head tube angle that's been countered with a broader seat tube angle. This creates a wheel base that's minimally longer than the Damocles, but also provides its own comfort advantage on long pulls and descents.

The frameset was built up using SRAM's reliable Rival group set. Borrowing much of the same technology as its top-end Red and Force groups, SRAM's Rival components are known for their accurate shifting, smooth operation, and durability. The 50/34t crankset was mated with a 12-25t cassette, providing a wide range of gearing that's ideal for both flat and hilly terrain. The cockpit received Zipp's Service Course bar, stem, and post, with Selle Italia's SL Kit Carbonio saddle. In the wheel department, Mavic's Aksium wheel and tire system is utilized for performance and durability.

The Ridley Asteria/SRAM Rival Complete Road Bike is available in the color White and in four sizes from X-Small to Large. Given the geometry of the Asteria, we strongly suggest that you focus on the effective top tube length as you determine the proper size for you.